


Unwind

by AQLM



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Consensual Kink, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Play, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Light Dom/sub, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-28 22:53:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12617348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AQLM/pseuds/AQLM
Summary: The incredibly cool, incredibly brilliant Lexi T'Perro feels she needs to broaden her horizons. Who better to explore them than the Pathfinder? But when she shows up in Sara Ryder's cabin one fine Havarl night, she realizes that the best part about Pathfinding is you don't know where it will take you...and to Lexi's surprise, she is offered entry into the delicious world of bondage, teasing, and sensual domination.A purely fluff, purely filth, purely sex, and enjoyable light kink scenario in honor of N7 day.





	1. The Initial Foray

The brilliant sphere of Havarl illuminated the otherwise dark quarters on the Tempest where Sara Ryder was attempting to unravel some of the latest Remnant tech for Peebee. It was too many hours into the night shift and there were too many kett who needed to be shot between the eyes for her to burn this sort of energy on a side project. The perennially perky, emotionally evasive young Asari had demanded the Pathfinder’s attention, so here she was, trying to keep from falling asleep while simultaneously banging her head against inscrutable data.

An unwelcome door chime interrupted her thoughts. Ryder thought to frisbee the datapad over to her desk but she contented herself with slapping it down on the end table. No sense in ruining good equipment in a galaxy of scarcity just because she was throwing a late-night temper tantrum.

“Enter,” Sara called. Belatedly, she realized she was in no shape to be entertaining visitors of an official sort. Her hair was tousled, she was dangling out of her civilian clothes, and the quarters looked a bit more like a storage closet than a captain’s hideaway. A pile of armor, a half-loaded gun, a new omnitool schematic...well, whomever would visit her this late at night would need to accept a total lack of protocol.

The timid, deep blue form of the ship’s doctor Lexi T’Perro filled the Pathfinder’s doorway and Sara squelched a sigh. If this was another reminder for yet another blood test, Ryder would frisbee herself across the room just to get away. The doctor’s bedside manner had improved considerably but she still pursued the health of the crew members with a dogged persistence that grated on even Jaal’s patient nerves.

Ryder put on her best accommodating voice. “Hey. Doc. Did I miss a physical or something? I’ve been so busy…”

The doctor took a step inside and waved her hands. “No, no, nothing like that. Not for a few days at least.”

“Oh. Good. Nice to be on top of things for a change.” Sara closed her eyes and rubbed her pale brown palms over her face. “Here to prescribe me a little more sleep,” she quipped. “That is one medicine I’d happily take right now.”

A metal on metal sound was the response. An unexpected sound. A zipper sound. Ryder opened her eyes and blinked them rapidly. The doctor had unzipped the entire front of her jumpsuit, exposing a swath of dark blue flesh from her neck to her waistband. Twilight-colored breasts curved elegantly out from her slender body, offset by the white of Lexi’s now open uniform. Sara failed to keep herself from gaping at the partially nude Asari in front of her. She opened and closed her mouth a few more times but failed to generate any noise besides a whistling squeak that the doctor blessedly ignored.

“I know I said I was not ready for relationships because of other people’s perceptions of my motives,” said Lexi, her voice low and sultry. She took a step forward and slid off her jacket, which fell beside her feet in a heap of stiff fabric. “I also know you find me attractive and that as Pathfinder, you’re used to breaking new ground.”

Sara found her words, garbled as they were through a panting, dry mouth. “That’s true. Though I thought we might have dinner first. Not that…you’re not…lovely…” The polite parts of her wanted to turn away in modesty but the roaring human hormones that had spent six hundred years dormant kept her eyes locked on that delicious chest and smooth body.

“Doing things the standard way doesn’t work for me anymore. Peebee has accused me of being uptight,” said the doctor clinically. She took two steps closer until she was standing at the edge of the bed, looking down darkly at the lightly panicking Pathfinder.

“I need to demonstrate I am not. As you clearly noted on the Nexus, drinking is only one of many ways to cut loose. I need to…to prove…” The clinical resolve slipped away. “Oh Goddess. What am I doing?” She curved inward and tried to hide her now naked upper body from Ryder.

Sara flailed around her bed, tossing everything piled on it aside until she found a wrinkled shirt. She nearly flipped herself onto the floor and wrapped it around the embarrassed Asari, who clutched it to her flesh. Ryder took a moment to consider her next course and decided to demurely, if belatedly, close her eyes and sit down again. When she opened them again, Lexi had pulled the clothing over herself, still crossing her arms across her ribcage. Sara slid over patted beside her.

Lexi wavered her stance, then exhaled and dropped herself onto the bed. Sara took the daring move of draping her arm across Lexi’s shoulder in a gesture that was supposed to be reassuring no matter how much Sara wanted otherwise. She wanted to trail her fingers down that scaly skin to see how many goosebumps she could elicit. Instead, she clamped her hand down as if she were trying to not fall off a mountain.

“How many times must I remind you that Peebee likes aggravating you,” chided Sara. “I’m pretty sure she was trying to get you to punch her and not…”

“Show up here like a foolish 96-year-old maiden and throw myself at someone who flashed me a bit of a smile,” said Lexi dejectedly. “Ryder, I am so, so sorry. This was completely inappropriate in addition to a breach of doctor-patient protocol.”

“Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry about, right? It’s a civilian ship. I’m not going to throw you in the brig.” A soft chuckle jostled both of their bodies. “I mean, where would the brig even be? Liam’s storage room? I swear that couch could serve as a torture chamber.”

“Maybe you could stick me in another escape pod,” replied Lexi. “Ugh, I’d never hear the end of it.” The doctor pried herself upwards to look deeply into the pathfinder’s yellow-ringed eyes. “You won’t tell her about this, will you?”

“Not a word,” reassured Sara. “You were just here to remind me to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.” Sara pursed her lips and reconsidered her words the moment they escaped her mouth. “But just to be clear, I’d say you’ve succeeded in proving you’re not uptight and I am very glad I was the one you proved it to..”

“I’ve seen you flirt with the crew, Sara. I don’t pretend to believe I’m unique, not after what I’ve heard you say to Liam…and Jaal…and Peebee…and…”

“Be that as it may,” interrupted Sara, “you’re still remarkable. I’m absolutely flattered. Now go back and get some rest. As you constantly remind me, no good decisions are made on fewer than two hours of sleep. This will all make sense in the morning.”

With a parting squeeze, the human released the doctor. Lexi walked over, scooped up her clothing, and fled the cabin without a word. Sara flopped back onto her bed and groaned loudly. Now she was aroused and exhausted. And she was down a shirt.  
 


	2. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara decides to help Lexi follow through on her desires with a bit of technological help. As with all playtime, a bit of negotiation and safewords are required.

Lexi T’Perro banged her head on the Nexus’ bulkhead, hoping not to attract attention to her personal trials while still applying the proper amount of punishment. She could calculate the force required to leave a hematoma, a skull fracture, or significant brain damage. This amount she hoped would kill the neurons responsible for her ill-fated attempt to seduce Ryder. It had been late enough at night that no one had seen her stealthily slip into Sara’s quarters or shamefully flee back to her own bunk. Oh, how Peebee would laugh if she knew just how much of a romantic failure the doctor had turned out to be. It would provide the young woman with hours, perhaps years, of entertainment.

She felt lucky that by some trick of the Goddess’ wisdom, Sara had not been completely put off by Lexi’s feeble approach at seduction. The flight back to the Nexus had been, for lack of a more elegant word, normal. Chatter around the decks, playful teasing between members of the crew, and the doctor’s own stilted, clinical conversations. None of it felt forced and none of it felt suspicious. In fact, the only thing that had been off was a quick email from Ryder saying they should meet at the medbay on the Hyperion.

The doctor restrained her self-flagellation and crossed into the medbay where Sara was sitting on a bed, carefully not looking at her comatose brother. She was instead focused entirely on the self-proclaimed grumpy old man and Lexi’s dear friend, Harry. The two humans grinned as Lexi approached and locked her hands behind her back. Harry especially had a mischievous look in his eyes. Surely, Ryder could not have shared Lexi’s…indiscretion.

“Ah, there she is. The finest cross-species doctor on the Nexus,” he grinned, waving her closer. “Sara was just telling me about your expert care of the crew.” 

“They are a fascinating group,” said Lexi primly. Internally, she was chanting a prayer that sounded suspiciously like wishing a black hole would swallow her.

“Yes, well, given how much spacetime you have all gotten, I’m using my superior status to give you a day off.” He waved a datapad towards her before she could object. “Lexi T’Perro: as senior medical officer on the Hyperion, I hereby relieve you of duty until 1000 tomorrow morning. This order remains in effect unless there is an all-out war on the Nexus.”

“Wha…” floundered Lexi. “You can’t-“

“Too late,” exclaimed Ryder. “He just did. And to me too, though he can’t very well excuse me from being Pathfinder.” Sara popped off the bed. “As I recall, you promised we’d split a bottle of wine at the Nexus. As I also recall, Peebee stole it from your private stores.”

“She did? That li-“

“Meet me back on the Tempest and we’ll get one from my private stash. Let’s say I don’t trust the bartender to make something drinkable with whatever I brought back from the angara.” With a brilliant grin, Sara swiveled on one boot and hopped out of the medbay.

Lexi cocked her head and glared at the human doctor. “What did she tell you,” she hissed, trying to cover embarrassment with not-so-feigned anger.

He looked puzzled and a little sad. “She said you have all been working nonstop to drag this galaxy to some standard of habitability.” He put a paw-sized hand on her shoulder. “She also said the crew has been riding you pretty hard, so maybe taking a break from being The Doctor would give you a chance to relax.” 

“Giving me the night off isn’t going to change that, Harry, and you know it.” Lexi shook him loose. “I’m a doctor. That’s all I will be on Andromeda for the forseeable future. That’s all I know.”

“Not tonight,” he disagreed. “Sara came by to give you a breather. Go enjoy it. Get trashed. Dance on the Nexus floor. Pick a fight in Hydroponics. Whatever works.”

Sara popped her head back in. “Seriously, Lexi? Come on.” 

Lexi gave a sigh of defeat and strode after the Pathfinder, who was chattering about the various vintages available to the two of them.

Harry looked after them with a fond, if lecherous grin. He turned back to his comatose patient. “And do tell me what Sara planned for those biotic limiters she’s borrowed off me.” 

 

_____________________

   
The Tempest lights were set to docking mode and the crew was milling around the Nexus, shopping for weapons, visiting with relatives, or attempting to make trouble with the newest thawed out colonists. Ryder waved off the few who wanted to come onboard with her and Lexi, explaining that she and the doctor needed to run some tests. Anyone who wanted another round could come with. That dissuaded them, leaving the ship deserted.

“Why did you lie to them,” asked Lexi as they walked through the silent ship. 

“Because I want some privacy, that’s all,” said Sara. They entered her cabin, which gave an expansive view of the newly-activated Nexus. Lexi’s first impression was that the room was so much larger and cleaner than when she had stumbled in a few nights before. Downright spotless, in fact. There were no also bottles of wine available. Instead, there was a cluster of what looked like commando belts clumped in the middle of the bed.

“Privacy,” said Lexi. “Oh, so we can talk about what happened,” she squeaked.

Sara shook her head and smiled. “Not just talk.” She walked over to her desk and punched a few buttons. A shimmering shield descended over the picture window, fogging it from prying shuttles. She turned around and leaned on the shelf, focusing her gaze on her gues.

“Lexi, listen. I did a lot of thinking and for all her insanity, I think Peebee is right. You do need to loosen up.” Sara held up a warning hand. “But I don’t think you’re able to. You’re too inside your own head, too conscious of the things going on around you. So I have a little solution.”

The human walked over to the bed and picked up one of the straps. “Ever played with one of these,” she queried.

“A belt? I have kept my pants up, Sara, yes.” 

“Not just a belt. A restraint.” Lexi blinked twice. Sara looked at her quizzically. “A four-point restraint? You know for…restraining someone? Who needs to be restrained?”

Lexi’s eyes opened double-size and Sara’s voice changed to disbelief. “You mean to tell me in 200 years of existence, no Asari tied you to the bed to give you a good time? Or vice versa?”

“It is not something I have done, no,” sputtered Lexi. “And are you saying that Peebee would want you to bind me and then…take me?”

“Okay, bad lead off. Can we just leave Peebee out of this for now?” Sara tossed the restraint back. “Lexi, I would be thrilled to have sex with you. Having you show up in my cabin was one of the best things to happen since we’ve ended up in Andromeda.”

“That’s not a very high bar,” noted Lexi dryly.

“Ugh,” Sara threw up her hands. “That’s what I’m talking about. Here I am, propositioning you, trying to give you what you want, and all you can do is crack jokes. You need to relax and you literally can’t. That’s what the restraints are for. They help you…lose control.”

Lexi slapped away the various snide remarks about how being controlled would not make her lose control and settled on a practical disagreement. “That’s all fine and good, Sara, but I’m a biotic. I can disarm you from across the room.”

“Nope,” she replied cheerfully, producing a set of electronics from one of her pant pouches. “Biotic limiters! Specially crafted to train Asari Commandos to fight hand-to-hand without the benefit of their natural powers.” She waved them under Lexi’s nose. “I grabbed a set off Harry and told him we were going to do some sparring.”

“By the Goddess, you didn’t.”

Sara’s only reply was yet another winning grin that softened as she placed the electronics on the bed next to the restraints. She reached out and cupped Lexi’s face with her hand. “Lexi, if you want to roll around on the floor for a few minutes to prove to yourself you’re not uptight, I vacuumed the rug. But if you want to actually do something about it, you’ll let me help you.”

Lexi sat down on the massive bed and ran her finger over the restraints. Heavy metal clasps were affixed to the ends of straps made from a hide-synthetic composite. Hooks could likely be affixed to hard points on a desired surface while the circular components were meant to hold down the limbs of a willing or unwilling participant. She pushed her thumb into the strap. It barely dented.

“I really don’t understand what you’re getting at, Ryder.”

Sara circled her quarters, not looking at Lexi, idly pulling strands of her pale purple hair back from her face. “I bet your exes used to say you weren’t quite engaged when you were together,” she gestured. “They suspected you were holding yourself above them. Inspecting them. Examining them. Even while you were in the heights of pleasure, yes?”

“Embracing eternity” as the non-Asari called their melding, was less intense physical pleasure than most would expect. It elicited a depth of connection that was safety, adoration, and an entwining of emotions and selves. On the other hand, the physical pleasure Asari took from their sexual encounters was achieved by stimulating a far less existential portion of their anatomy. Lexi’s anatomy teachers theorized the confluence of receptors between their legs was a vestige from long-forgotten ancestors who reproduced sexually. Interacting with this anatomical relic was something Lexi preferred to the mental stimulation of melding; embracing eternity required a relinquishing of self she did not tolerate well.

Lexi ran her nails uneasily over the dark layers of hide. “More than once.”

“What better way to break you of that habit than to pull away your ability to control the other person. Why not make this about you for a change?”

“To what end, Ryder? “

“To help you unwind, Lexi,” replied Sara. She stopped and walked back towards the bed, not quite towering over the disquieted Asari. “You’re conscious of your separation from the crew and as much as you pretend otherwise, it bothers you. You are your work, as you’ve said, but I know you’re lonely. You wouldn’t have showed up in my quarters if you didn’t think it would do you some good.” 

The truth in the human’s words was stinging if not unexpected. They had enough conversations on the Nexus where Lexi had implied her longing to be part of something once more. The push-pull of her attraction to Ryder found her dangling between leaping into the young woman’s bed or fleeing to the depths of the med lab. The prospect of landing in the action rather than the inaction bin was exciting. The method of doing so was more doubtful though it piqued Lexi’s curiosity. Nevertheless, Lexi began sorting through her arguments.

“What if there’s an attack?”

“I cut you loose with this.” Sara held up a pair of shears with blades that glinted in the dim light of the cabin. “And we get everyone on board the Nexus none the wiser.”

“What if…something happens to you? You have a stroke or SAM malfunctions? It’s possible, you know. Unknown tech and all that.” 

Sara arched an eyebrow and peered down at Lexi, who shrank back. The Pathfinder was tattooed with a thin white line that crossed vertically across each eye and a row of dots below each lid. Lexi had wondered from the day she’d met her what they meant. Humans had no tribal markings, not in the way of Vetra or Drak, and few wore ceremonial paint like Peebee. From this perspective, Lexi understood. Even without her sniper rifle, the Pathfinder made sure all she looked upon were in her crosshairs. Lexi felt small and ridiculous under that intense gaze. Luckily, the response bore no trace of unkindness.

“I’ll set up a ship-based alert. If I don’t hit a reset button every two hours, it’ll send a warning message to Harry. Yes, it’ll be embarrassing,” Sara said, shrugging, “but I dislike the alternative where you’re discovered by the crew while I’m dead on the floor.” 

“Will SAM be listening in the whole time and…recording? Judging?”

“Judging? Never, but I can set him to passive mode. He’ll only alert and come online in an emergency. 

She knelt down in front of Lexi and gripped her hands tightly between her own. “Lexi, if you’re uncomfortable, I can put those away and we can have a nice quick fuck. Or we can actually break out the wine and drink ourselves into a stupor.”

Lexi swallowed hard and returned Sara’s earnest gaze. “I’ve never done this before. Not even close. Have you?”

Sara waved her head back and force with a bit of equivocation. “A number of times, yes. Not with an Asari per se, but I have enjoyed my fair share of Asari mercenaries on their Maiden voyage. The physiology isn’t unfamiliar, is what I’m saying.” She smiled. “I am a Pathfinder, though. I’m always ready for a challenge if you are.”

Lexi stopped arguing. She would see this through, whatever the outcome. 

“Okay, I accept,” she said. “Just to give it a try.”

“Sounds good,” replied Sara. Her voice snapped into a solemn tone. “Before we begin, a bit of protocol. I won’t stop unless you tell me explicitly to do so. If you tell me ‘less’, I slow down and check in. If you tell me ‘enough’, I stop and untie you. No other words will have this effect. Do you understand?”

Lexi shuddered. This was becoming more real more quickly than expected. “I…do,” she said. Why were her teeth chattering? 

“We’ll start slow. I won’t hurt you. That doesn’t mean I’ll always do what you want,” the tone lightening to something more playful. “And if all goes well, we can ramp it up next time. So, what are the words?”

“Um, less, for…slowing down. Enough for stopping? And what if I forget,” Lexi asked.

“I’ll be paying attention. The wrong words with the right intent will have the same effect.” The solemn tone returned. “Are you ready?”

“As much as I can be.”


	3. Letting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexi is forced to relax and enjoy herself.

The pathfinder helped the doctor undress and neatly folded the clothing off to the side. Then she pulled aside the white cotton sheets and gestured for Lexi to lay down. The whole thing felt absolutely ridiculous to Lexi. Even when naked, this felt more like being prepared for surgery than for a sexual encounter. Sara was too busy clipping and adjusting for Lexi’s grimace of discontent to matter. But when Sara buckled the first restraint over one blue ankle, Lexi found her disdain quickly melting. The other was similarly captured and Ryder went back and forth between her legs, adjusting them so her knees were flat against the mattress and unable to bend more than a centimeter.

“Comfortable,” queried Ryder. “Not stretched too far?”

“No, not at all.” A rush of air moved over her exposed skin and brought goosebumps across it. It felt strange to be pulled apart like this. The strangeness increased when Ryder clasped one of Lexi’s hands in her own and brought it to her chest. “Ready, Lexi,” she said gently.

“I think so,” she replied. She hoped her voice was flippant and relaxed. No response from her partner other than to bring both of Lexi’s hands above her head and lock them into place. A blindfold soon followed.

Lexi swallowed hard. She wasn’t aroused yet. Far from it. It was disorienting, making her uneasy and uncomfortable. The finishing touch of the biotic limiters dampened her innate biotic field. All biotics had a bit of a buzzing hum around them. Not so anymore. Lexi felt heavy, too grounded, and very alone.

“Ryder,” she said urgently. “Are you still there?”

Warm breath blew across her ear. “Of course. I will not leave you. Do you remember how to end the game?”

Lexi nodded. “Yes, yes.” 

“Good.”

A few more minutes ticked by. Lexi tried the restraints and her biotics. The setup was simple but very effective. Her hands could not slip through nor could she gain leverage with any of her joints locked into these positions. Her biotics were diminished to a similar level. Perhaps a rush of adrenaline could give her more force but for all intents and purposes, she was trapped. A cross between frustration and fear filled her voice.

“Ryder? Sara?”

“Relax, Lexi,” replied the even voice. “Relax.”

A long hand drew down Lexi’s exposed midsection, making her arch in surprise. She wasn’t quite ticklish but the sudden sensation let the breath out of her lungs. She tensed her muscles and remembered Sara's admonishment. She breathed in and out and focused on unwinding the muscles in her abdomen. She had almost accomplished this task when Sara ran her hands over her again. Ryder at the side of one leg and ran her fingers up the exposed flesh, over the hollow of her hips and the curve of her waist, and ended at the base of her ribcage. Lexi flinched and again tried to breathe out the tension. This time, she had a chance to catch herself before the hands returned to her body.

Sara alternated between these light strokes and a deeper, harder pressure into her shoulders and calves. Even as Lexi was bound, she could feel her muscles unwrapping the knots that she didn’t realize she had. She sighed happily. If this was how bondage worked, she would need to pursue it more often. Again the sensations stopped, leaving her relaxed and hazy.

A hand began to circle her left breast. It started at the very edges of the mound and slowly spiraled inwards with just the pads of two fingers. Unhurried and methodical, it drew up and around the top of her breast, tracing the outline of her areola perfectly. Lexi took in a breath, waiting for the inevitable brush across her nipple, but it never came. Instead, the hand spiraled downwards and away. She hid her disappointment with an exhale. Her other breast received the same treatment, even slower. Every centimeter was touched by those warm fingers, a sensation that was delicate and pleasurable but hardly overwhelming. Again, her nipples were left untouched. The hand returned to her left breast. Back and forth they drifted, sometimes circling upwards, sometimes merely drawing around. Lexi tried to count the trips but somewhere along ten, she lost her train of thought. 

The calm at the beginning of the encounter was being chased away by an insistent arousal blossoming from her breasts and spreading throughout her body. The anticipation of that stronger sensation, one that she knew would send shocks of pleasure, made her writhe when the hand once again withdrew. She recalled Sara’s words – not hurt her, but not do what she wanted – and tried to play the game. She would remain stoic and show Sara that she could take whatever she decided to do. If Lexi was going to be denied, she would bear it as best she could.

When the hand returned to her breast and lay four fingers in a circle, curving them upwards around her mound again, she gritted her teeth and tried to deny the sensation. It was just a touch, just a feeling. So what if it was near an erogenous zone? Her clothing lay there every day without a single moment of stimulation. Somehow, her distracting focus worked. The touches became enjoyable and then a little distant. This was bearable.

A flicker of air blew across her left nipple and she arched off the bed. The distant sensations were gone, replaced by an intense consciousness of her sensitized skin. Another teasing caress drew up to the areola and stopped. Lexi let out a whimper. She tried regaining her center but a few moments later, Sara drew a single fingernail across her other nipple and the trapped Lexi gasped. Knowing that more stimulation would be provided was not comforting. It was unpredictable and too brief. All it did was send her into another frenzy of waiting. Lexi threw away her battle for silent tolerance more quickly than she had expected.

“Ryder, please, more. Stop teasing me.” 

A quiet laugh. “In good time, Lexi. Relax.”

“You know…damn well…” Lexi stuttered, then caught her breath as a fingertip swirled up around her nipple again. “I…can’t…” 

Another long series of languid, delicate circles while Lexi drew in ragged breaths. “Stop trying to fight it, Lexi. You aren’t in control anymore.”

“Sara…I…oh, Goddess.” The human’s warm mouth encircled one nipple and drew the sensitive flesh upwards. A moment later, the wet skin was left to the cool air. Goosebumps went up on her flesh and Lexi choked back another plea for sensation. She raised her body into the emptiness above her.

She was panting now, which only made the absence of touch more obvious. Every time she breathed in, air brushed across her erect nipples, forcing her awareness to those all but neglected erogenous zones. Techniques to quell her mind and stabilize her body splintered against a visceral desire that was eroding her control.

Ryder began to draw broad circles around both breasts, providing a maddening increase in intensity without a simultaneous decrease in tension. Lexi shifted from side to side as Ryder would swirl her fingers up and around the areola of one breast while cupping and caressing the underside of the other. 

When Ryder bent down once more and lavishly swirled her tongue around Lexi’s right nipple, Lexi cried out with wordless delight. Sara switched to quickly flicking her tongue back and forth across the hardened skin, replacing the faint tracing that fanned her arousal with an overwhelming torrent of fire. Each movement of her nipple sent waves of bliss across her body and down to the swollen heat between her legs. But as before, only for a few seconds. The mouth was withdrawn and Lexi clamped her eyes shut behind the blindfold. Out of instinct she reached her mind out towards her partner for some connection amidst the roar but she found only the cold wall of the limiters. Trapped, she clenched her fists and dug her nails into the hide. Again, Ryder brought her mouth down on Lexi’s breast, this time scraping her teeth along one nipple and carefully pinching the other. Lexi winced and a sliver of pain through the pleasure helped her re-center. The need lessened. That was clearly not Sara’s intent and Lexi was again rendered helpless by the feeling of Ryder’s tongue on her nipple. 

Ryder began moving those patient, exploring fingertips between Lexi’s legs and Lexi’s arousal was mixed by a rapidly-growing fear. What Sara had done to her breasts had driven her wild. To have the same done to even more sensitive flesh was terrifying. The words of control lay on her tongue but she swallowed them back. She had to trust. She had to relax.

Lexi had never perceived the shape of her sex. Now that a tantalizing finger was being drawn inexorably, millimeter by millimeter, over the outside, Lexi became agonizingly aware of all the intricate curves and ripples that her body possessed. The soft edges of her skin were touched with what felt like liquid fire. Where the finger had been burned with the absence, where the hand was going shivered in a void of desire. There was relief neither from want or having. Everything hurt and everything felt beyond words.

Ryder dipped her hand lower and spread Lexi wide, being careful to separate the skin without touching more than was necessary. She slid a finger from the middle of Lexi’s sex and brought it to the edge of Lexi’s pleasure center. Lexi started breathing faster, either to prepare herself for the hand to be taken away or for the rush when Sara pushed down. Instead, Sara lifted her hand and placed on finger on the top of this pulsing bead of nerves, enough that Lexi could feel the pressure, but far too slight for anything substantial. Lexi waited for the hand to move, but it did not.

Lexi squirmed, trying to push herself up into Ryder’s palm, to gain a second of friction. The finger on her accommodated the little motion she achieved, never lessening or intensifying in pressure. Then she tried pulling back and found she was again stymied – the hand tracked her every twist. She lay still again and tried to push the sensation away, but could not. She was too swollen and sensitized. Her very heartbeat caused her body to shake imperceptibly, enough to infinitesimally move that soft skin over her pleasure centers but not enough to generate anything besides a constant reminder of her scaling denial. It was impossible to ignore and agonizing to experience.

She clenched her fists and tried not to scream. Her body was afire with desperation and there was nothing she could do to bring relief. There was no escape – her own heartbeat was betraying her to constant teasing. The absolute powerlessness and the endless ache overwhelmed her and she found her words.

“Sara, less, please.” 

The sensation on her sex abruptly ceased, bring equal parts relief and longing, and a hand intertwined with her fingers. The gentle voice of the Pathfinder broke through her struggle.

“What do you need, Lexi?”

“I don’t…I don’t think…it’s too much, Sara. I’m sorry.” Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. “I’m trying to relax but I can’t. I-“

“Shh, lovely. There is nothing to be sorry for.” Sara’s other hand cupped the side of Lexi’s face and drew a thumb across her cheek, taking away the thin line of liquid. “You are doing so well for me. Do you need out?”

Lexi swallowed hard. It was tempting to ask to be untied and to be ravaged on the bed instead of incrementally driven out of her mind with frustration. But…that wouldn’t achieve what they had set out to do. 

“No, thank you. I’ll keep working on letting go. We can resume.” She aimed for assuredness but it came out broken and breathy.

Ryder’s body shifted forward and her lips brushed Lexi’s ear. Lexi gasped at the new contact, but Ryder didn’t laugh as she had before. Sara’s grip on her tightened in a way that was equally comforting and protective.

“Lovely, it is not just about letting go or losing control. It is about giving over control. Do you understand?” Far from the uncertainty Ryder tended to show when leading her troops, this voice was sure and solid. 

Lexi’s heart caught in her throat and she whispered a tentative, “Yes.”

Sara kissed her for the first time, a moment that was less erotic and more reassuring. "I am here, Lexi. I will not let you fall alone.” 

The overwhelming tension Lexi felt ratcheted down at the sound of that adoring, commanding voice. She breathed out and slackened her muscles against the bed. Sara’s hand sensually parted the folds between Lexi’s legs once more, tenderly drawing the skin apart without daring to slip within. Lexi longed to thrust upwards, to drive herself onto Sara’s fingers and grind herself to a mind-wrenching orgasm. Torture was all she received. Thin and delicate brushes against the heat of her center inflamed her further. What was done to her breasts was torment and this was another extension of agony. 

Ryder’s mouth returned to Lexi’s breasts as her fingers circled the nexus of Lexi’s pleasure. Every movement of that skilled mouth elicited a reminder that Sara could just as easily be doing that with her hands. She swore she felt Sara’s tongue impossibly in both places, driving her to a plateau of ecstasy but never letting her go higher. The denial fed her arousal even as she waited for its cessation. She felt her sex swell and throb, fluttering on the edge of orgasm if only she could gain more sensation. None was forthcoming – her body was being toyed with by a cruel, determined, and adoring puppeteer. 

Lexi bucked her hands against those slipping fingers as they traced and teased, placing pressure in unexpected places before drifting away again. There was never enough contact for Lexi to feel satisfied. Every touch brought longing and need. Every touch made her body scream for another one. She had given up trying to consciously relax or anticipate. She fell apart into a creature of need who writhed and begged for Sara to give her more pleasure. She lost everything that bound her together, the professionalism, the science, the logic, and became her basest, rawest self. 

“Sara, please,” she whispered, hoarse and shaking. “Please, I need you. I can’t do this anymore.” 

In response, the human’s hand stroked Lexi’s pleasure centers deep and hard, cupping her flesh possessively. Lexi screamed in physical release and reached her mind out to touch Sara’s. This time, the limiters were gone. 

“Embrace eternity,” whispered Sara. 

Lexi plunged her mind greedily into the Sara’s, a melding so deep, so thorough that Lexi lost herself in their entwined consciousness. The colors of their joining swam around them and in the midst, Sara smiled with open eyes, holding Lexi against her. Lexi found herself too open to speak. She floated, wordlessly and happily, drifting through her mindscape in Sara’s embrace. Eternity was what it felt like, more than ever before.

Eventually the energy of the joining faded and her mind descended into her pleasure-wracked body once more. The dimming throb of her physical orgasm blended with the warmth of Sara’s mental presence. She opened her eyes and for the first time in many hours, she could see once again. The beautiful human gazed down at her with fierce, loving eyes and Lexi wanted to respond, but her mouth felt so heavy, her body felt so far away. 

Sara’s warmth enveloped her as Lexi’s hands were unfastened and brought down one by one. Her legs were also released, leaving Lexi free to move, to escape, to take whatever she wanted, yet all she wanted was to remain right here. A soft stretch of fabric surrounded them and Sara wrapped herself around Lexi’s body, holding her in place.

Lexi lingered in a deep space. It was like being at the bottom of a pool and watching the reflection of the sun across the surface. Eventually she became aware of her breathing and the feeling of soft skin pressed against her back. She found her words again.

“Sara?”

“I’m right here, Lexi.” Sara delicately kissed the arch of her neck. “Whatever you need, I’m right here.” 

Lexi wanted to discuss the profundity of their coupling and the outrageous physical and mental pleasure it had brought her. She wanted to praise Ryder’s skill and explain how right the human had been. All those words seemed out of reach and pointless. A hand met hers, entwined fingers, and pressed them against Lexi’s chest. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re beautiful, Lexi T’Perro,” murmured Sara. “As beautiful as you are brilliant. The people afraid of your mind tend to lose sight of your physical desirability.” She bit down on an exposed shoulder and Lexi arched in delight. “You are comfortable being a distant genius but I have always sensed there was more. A passionate creature locked tight beneath the façade.” 

Lexi sighed and ground herself against Sara. The human’s other hand had wound its way between Lexi’s legs and was lightly but deliberately stroking the pleasure centers between them. Their prior lovemaking had been torturously demanding. This was soothing but no less encompassing. 

“No one on this crew. No one in this galaxy has shown more concern and care for me than you have.” Sara released her fingers and reached under their bodies to touch Lexi’s overstimulated breasts, making Lexi moan reflexively. She bucked her body into Sara’s fingertips. Sara did not draw away. Instead, she quickened and deepened her ministrations.

“Having you here in my bed proved you are hardly as clinical and removed as you have been led to believe. You just needed to be given permission to find your desire.” 

The words tumbled around her but Lexi was too lost to care. The fingers that had mapped her skin were now easily pushing her to another climax. Given the freedom to move, she did, arching and twisting to gain more sensation that was evenly and readily provided. There was no controlled reception of pleasure even without the restraints. Her body was not her own and the orgasm she did not know she wanted was wrenched out of her body. Once again, their minds entwined together, less intensely than before but no less profound. Sara kissed her in that mindscape and pushed her down into her body where another orgasm ripped through her body. She rode the waves of mental and physical pleasure until she was drained. Her body relaxed and sleep overtook her.


	4. Aftercare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lovers come down from their high and interact with the emotions their scene brought up. No filth here, sorry!

Sara cradled the sleeping Lexi in her arms and let out a deep sigh. She nuzzled a blue shoulder, carefully avoiding the cartilage of her lover’s fringe, and shifted her hand out from underneath them. 

“SAM,” she said internally. “Reconnect, please.”

“I am here, Pathfinder. Nothing has transpired,” SAM reported in his calm monotone.

“I didn’t expect anything would.” She waited for his inevitable reply. It was slower in coming than she expected.

“I assume you accomplished what you set out to do,” the computer ventured. 

“You could say that.” Sara gingerly slid the other arm out and sat on the side of the bed. “Can you alert Harry that I’ll be keeping the limiters for the time being? Just in case I need them again.”

“Of course, Pathfinder. You could tell him yourself when you return to the Hyperion to be marked fit for duty.” 

“I really don’t want him asking questions. He barely controlled himself when I requested them. This time he’ll probably want a full report.” Sara drew her hand down Lexi’s arm. “More than most and more than ever, she needs her privacy.”

The computer in her brain again answered a second more slowly than before. “I understand most sentient species, save the Angaara, prefer not to discuss the particulars of their coupling. I do not comprehend why you said, ‘More than ever’.”

Sara curved her hand around Lexi’s hip and the woman beside her shifted and sighed, but did not awaken. “It’s hard to explain. Sex is complicated, SAM. It can be anything from an empty physical release of sensation to a spiritual coupling. This variant tends to take more mental energy on behalf of both participants,” she said. “She’ll need time to come down and deal with whatever we did.”

Unsteadily, she rose from the bed and went to a minifridge to pull out some water. She poured two glasses and placed them on the bedside table. “I pushed her physically and emotionally. Too hard, I suspect. I got carried away.” The conversation became with herself instead of SAM. “I was so caught up in her pleasure and my control that I forgot a 200-year-old Asari doesn’t have 200 years of power exchange under her belt. We’ll talk through it later, I guess.” 

Sara looked back at her resting partner. Lexi’s body was a compact coil of blue curves and sensuality barely obscured by the sheet Ryder had pulled over them. She’d be awake again soon. Perhaps cold. Perhaps hungry. Sara really should have thought this part more thoroughly. As quietly as possible she rifled through her belongings to find a heavier blanket. She unfolded it and placed it next to the bed. Then she dug out some literally ancient rations and unwrapped them, cursing every thunderclap-loud crinkle of the preserving plastic.

She returned to the bed and sat down again, resisting the urge to trace more lines down Lexi’s body. The poor girl was probably so overstimulated that anything more than fleeting touch would awaken her. Not that Sara was averse to administering even more blinding pleasure to her partner. Lexi had been as sensuous and intoxicating as Sara had imagined; Sara just worried they wouldn’t have the time to do this right, not with the crew returning so soon. SAM broke into her thoughts again.

“I am curious what you mean about this variant. Was what you did far beyond the norm?” 

She hoped SAM could sense the annoyance in her mental voice. “This is not the time, SAM.”

“Apologies, Ryder,” said the computer chattering in her head. Did it seem contrite in its non-inflected way? “I will refrain from further questions.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Were you like this with dad? Wait, don’t answer that.” Nothing would ruin the mood more completely than contemplating the activities of SAM’s prior host. She switched her attention back to Lexi. Ryder had that itchy high she got after pushing someone sexually, the kind of sensation that made her want to dig her teeth into something soft and responsive. It didn’t seem appropriate at that moment. Maybe she’d do some pushups after Lexi left. Knuckle pushups. One handed. With a weight on her back. Or two.

SAM clicked to life again. “I am receiving a message from Vetra. She wishes to know if it is ‘safe’ to come aboard and discuss armaments.”

Sara scrunched her eyes closed and wished she had done this Pathfinding aboard the Hyperion. Sure, the quarters on the Nexus were less scenic and felt far more like her father’s than her own, but no one would risk showing up unannounced. Or announced. Or at all, really.

“Tell them it’s all clear but that I need some, um, time,” she finished lamely. “Time for paperwork? Rest? Therapy? Implant…maintenance?” 

For once, SAM seemed to catch her drift. “I will inform the crew you require remote resychronization with SAM node and that Dr. T’Perro will be assisting you. Interrupting this delicate process could result in reduced functionality of the implant.”

Sara audibly sighed. “Thank you, SAM.”

“Of course, Ryder. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.” Her mind went quiet and she curled up beside Lexi, thinking of all the ways she could do this even better next time. If there was a next time.

\---------------------

 

Lexi blinked heavy eyes and stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. This was not the canvas-lined mattress above her bunk or the sparkling white bulkhead above her medbay. This was…oh, Goddess. The Pathfinder’s chambers. She rolled over to the side and found Sara smiling at her, one hand on Lexi’s torso and the other putting down a glass of water.

“How are you feeling,” asked Sara. 

Lexi felt like she had been melted and poured back into her skin, and was now a pool of warm Lexi-type liquid. “Very…relaxed,” she said, her voice raspy and strange to her own ears. 

“Mm. That was the point,” replied her partner. Sara slid back beside her and propped up on one elbow to grab the other glass of water. She handed it to Lexi, who sat up and drank it almost automatically, then gave it back to the waiting hand and lay down. A patchwork riot of cloth scraps that formed a quilt was drawn over the two of them and primly tucked around Lexi’s body.

The world seemed full of dim and wavering colors that swam around the two of them. Had Sara always glowed like that? Had Sara’s eyes always swept over Lexi’s body with that combination of desire and attentiveness? Had Lexi’s body always ached to be touched like it had been today? Lexi felt like a flitting moth drawn to the warm flame of her lover, realizing now how dark and cold her life had been just a few hours ago. 

Lexi crawled on top of her and rested her head on Sara’s chest. “I don’t want to leave this place.”

“Then you won’t, lovely. I will not turn you away.” Sara’s arms wrapped around her and massaged a knot beneath one scapula. “Stay as long as you want.”

A familiar doubt gripped Lexi’s mind. “I can’t. I’m your doctor. I can’t lose professional detachment. Being in your bed is the ultimate violation of doctor-patient relationship.” 

The even thrumming of Sara’s heart filled her ears as her partner considered her response.

“Accept that it has happened anyway. Even before you came to me, you were anything but detached. The fear you feel when I leave and the way you talk to me when I return is far more personal than any doctor I know.” Sara’s hands stopped massaging her and instead held her more tightly. “You’ve had my best interests in mind since you set foot on the Tempest. Being with me will never change that, lovely.”

Lexi’s body was shaking and she felt frigid in spite of the blanket over her. Why was she so cold? Why was she so afraid?

“I never want to sleep alone again. I can’t go back to their eyes full of distrust and their voices full of condescension,” she stammered. “But if they knew I were your lover, they would say things about me.”

“You can spend every night here, in my bed, in my arms. And no one will say anything.” Sara’s voice went hard. “If they dare, I’ll toss them off this ship so fast they’ll hit warp.”

With a fluid movement, Sara rearranged herself so she was partially on top of Lexi, pinning her down with her torso and gazing into Lexi’s eyes with the focus of a sniper. She kissed Lexi fiercely, then relaxed and touched their foreheads together. “You are safe here, Lexi.”

Lexi felt the weight and heat of her partner and her partner’s words. The shaking began to lessen and Lexi’s mind began to clear. Sara curled up next to her once more and after a few minutes of silence said, “Would you like something to eat?”

Lexi blinked and realized she was absolutely ravenous. Sara half-tumbled out of bed and brought over a package of compressed white disks.

“I hope you like standard issue rations that are half a millennium old. Still good,” remarked Sara wryly, “well, good if you’re an Alliance soldier used to eating cardboard.”

True to Sara’s warning, the food was almost unrecognizable as sustenance. Lexi pounced on it anyway. She had not recognized her physical hunger and now she had to keep from eating the entire package in three bites.

Halfway through the second cake, Lexi felt comfortable enough to talk. “I don’t understand what just came over me. I’m not usually…that way. Clingy. Needy.”

“Bondage and domination makes us do and say things that are out of character. It strips down boundaries,” said Ryder with a patient smile. 

“I guess it does,” admitted Lexi. She gave into her baser desires and wolfed down the rest of the tasteless substance. Sara leaned back on one elbow, giving her a playful grin.

“I never thought I’d get rid of that stuff,” she teased. “Who know all I had to do was seduce a beautiful woman into my bed-hey!” Lexi launched herself onto Sara and straddled her, clasping their hands together beside the pillow.

“The order of operations on that sentence is incorrect, Pathfinder,” said Lexi, slipping into her comfortable scientific jargon, then paused. They’d just spent many delicious hours helping the scientist set aside that aspect of herself that she had no inclination to return.

“Do you want anything Sara? I’m not accustomed to being a selfish partner, especially not after what you did…to me. With me,” she corrected herself.

“Another time, Lexi. I promise. Just not right now. It’s about you.” Sara wriggled a hand out and pressed a finger to Lexi’s lips. “Don’t argue with me.”

She tugged Lexi down next to her and was solemn again. “How are you doing,” she repeated. 

Lexi burrowed into Sara’s embrace and assessed herself with her clinician’s gaze. She found herself stymied. The release of emotion and concurrent lack of control obscured what she thought was her center. Where the stolid professional had resided was a tangled weave of desire, command, unfamiliarity, and most concerning, a creeping emptiness. She dug her nails into Sara’s skin. “I…don’t feel myself,” she admitted.

“It’s pretty common,” noted Sara. “And it will take some time to pass. I’ve found it usually gets better with food, snuggles, and the occasional bad movie.”

Lexi smirked. “Look at you sounding all experienced. You really are a pathfinder.” She went quiet. “It’s not really surprising, is it? You made me…I mean, you took…” Lexi flushed at the memory of the physical torture and exquisite release that had followed. “No one has ever made me feel that way, Sara. I don’t know…” Lexi shook her head. “Dammit, I’m usually more eloquent than this. I’m a doctor.”

Experienced fingers trailing down her spine made Lei shiver and arch. A now-familiar feeling of warmth and longing flooded through her. “I think it’s acceptable to lose your speech after being ravaged, lovely,” purred Ryder. “And we will have plenty of time to talk about this whenever you are ready.” 

Lexi tilted her head down, hiding further from her lover. "I'm sorry for slowing things down. The sensations were so intense, too much. I'll try harder next time."

Sara shifted a little closer and brought a grasping arm around Lexi's midsection. "Lexi, you never need to apologize for telling me what you need. You never need to say you're sorry for being scared, overwhelmed, in pain, or sore. The beauty of this is the openness and freedom, which means the freedom to say no." Sara took a few heavy breaths, as if she were trying to dig words out of a container of awkward sentences. "And I am sorry for pushing you so hard on our first foray. It is difficult to have that level of sensation out of your control." 

A small shiver went through Lexi and she stared outwards. "I didn't realize I could feel like that. I am glad it was with you." She knew she would need more time to unpack this further. However, the echoes of steps on metal and voices chattering wafted into the cabin where the women lay. Lexi knew the two of them wouldn’t have much more time together before the pull of duty dragged them both back into their roles in the Initiative. 

Sara kissed Lexi again. “I meant it when I said you can stay with me whenever you want. In fact, I would really love to have you in my bed tonight?” The voice lilted upwards in a hopeful tone.

Lexi put aside her fears, her professionalism, and everything but the rightness of this moment. “I would like that very much. But I should get dressed. I do need to chase Drak down to check one of his prosthetics. I noted a variant in the data he hoped he’d keep from me. Fat chance.”

Sara snorted and released Lexi, who slid out of the bed and began to assemble her wardrobe from the table. A list of medical tests she wanted to run sprang to mind and she began categorizing them by ease of administration, invasiveness, and complexity. Her fingers fumbled with the edges of her undergarments. Technically she had the rest of the day off. Usually that would mean cataloging data or going over papers she’d put aside from the Milky Way. For once, it didn’t seem appealing. The lounging woman sprawled over the bed who anxiously waited for Lexi, who had given her a gift of release and loss of control, was a far greater draw. 

She looked back at Sara, put down the clothes, and crawled back into that embrace.

“But it can wait,” she said primly. “

“You’re learning,” teased Sara. Any further conversation was cut off by a kiss and a shared laugh that barely slipped through into the hallway. If anyone had been in earshot, they would have heard two women engaging in the best type of Pathfinding the galaxy could provide.


End file.
